Educational bath puzzle toy

ABSTRACT

A bath toy arrangement for use on a nonporous surface in the vicinity of a source of water. The bath toy arrangement is provided with first and second sheet elements each formed of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam having a thickness of approximately between 1 mm and 10 mm. Each of the first and second sheet elements has a determined configuration. There is additionally provided an ornamental design printed directly on the first and second sheet elements. The ornamental design is printed with a water insoluble ink. When wetted with the water, the first and second sheet elements will adhere to the nonporous surface or to each other.

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/270,927, filed on Jul. 14,2009, Confirmation No. 1921. The disclosure in that provisional patentapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to bath toys, and more particularly, toan educational bath puzzle that is simple to manufacture and will adhereto a smooth surface when wet.

2. Description of the Related Art

Known bath toys of the type that are wetted and will adhere to anonporous surface, such as a tile wall surrounding a bathtub, arecomplex and expensive to manufacture. The known bath toys are formed ofsheet elements composed of a polyvinyl chloride layer installed on afoam backing. Printing is performed on the polyvinyl chloride layer.

A further problem associated with known bath toys derives from the useof a polyvinyl chloride layer. Polyvinyl chloride is known to be harmfulto the environment. Moreover, the puzzle elements with their polyvinylchloride layers are likely to be placed by young children in theirmouths.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a simple andinexpensive bath toy system.

It is another object of this invention to provide a bath toy system thatwill adhere to a vertical surface, and which does not contain polyvinylchloride.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a bath toy system thatwill adhere to a vertical surface, and which does not contain latex.

It is additionally an object of this invention to provide a bath toysystem in which an ornamental design can be printed directly on a foamsheet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this invention whichprovides a bath toy arrangement for use on a nonporous surface in thevicinity of a source of water. In accordance with the invention, thebath toy arrangement is provided with first and second sheet elementseach formed of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam having a thickness ofapproximately between 1 mm and 10 mm. Each of the first and second sheetelements has a determined configuration. There is additionally providedan ornamental design printed directly on the first and second sheetelements. The ornamental design is printed with a water insoluble ink.When wetted with the water, the first and second sheet elements willadhere to the nonporous surface.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first and second sheet elementshave a thickness of approximately between 1 mm and 5 mm. In a highlyadvantageous embodiment, the first and second sheet elements are eachformed of the following materials in the following approximateproportions:

ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resin 75.80%; blowing agent 3.00%;cross-link agent 0.70%; stearic acid 1.50%; calcium carbonate 9.50%; andclay 9.50%.

In some embodiments of the invention, the first and second sheetelements are each configured to have complementary contours. Suchcomplementary contours of the first and second sheet elements areconfigured to interlock.

The invention is advantageously used on a nonporous vertical surface.The first and second sheet elements will each adhere to the nonporousvertical surface. The first and second sheet elements are finished on anupper surface thereof so as to be nonporous, whereby the first andsecond sheet elements will adhere to each other.

The ornamental design is configured in some embodiments to overlie aportion of each of the first and second sheet elements.

In accordance with a further apparatus aspect of the invention, a bathtoy arrangement for use on a nonporous vertical surface in the vicinityof a bathtub that contains water, is provided with first and secondsheet elements each formed of a polymer foam made from a combination ofan ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resin, calcium carbonate, and clay. Thecombination has a thickness of approximately between 1 mm and 5 mm, andeach of the first and second sheet elements having a determinedconfiguration. In addition, an ornamental design is printed directly onrespective first surfaces of the first and second sheet elements. Theornamental design is printed using a water insoluble ink. In this aspectof the invention, the respective first surfaces being nonporous. Thus,when wetted with the water, the first and second sheet elements willadhere on respective second surfaces thereof to the nonporous verticalsurface.

In one embodiment of this further aspect of the invention, when wettedwith the water, the second surface of the first sheet element will alsoadhere to the first surface of the second sheet element.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first and secondsheet elements are each formed of the following materials in thefollowing approximate proportions:

ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resin 75.80%; blowing agent 3.00%;cross-link agent 0.70%; stearic acid 1.50%; calcium carbonate 9.50%; andclay 9.50%.

The ornamental design includes, in some embodiments of the invention,first and second design elements that are printed directly on respectiveones of the first and second sheet elements. When the first and secondsheet elements are wetted and arranged in juxtaposition, a compositeornamental design is formed. In some embodiments, the ornamental designincorporates alphanumeric characters. In other embodiments, the firstsheet element is configured as a foam frame that is configured toaccommodate the second sheet element thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Comprehension of the invention is facilitated by reading the followingdetailed description, in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which

FIG. 1 is a plan representation of an illustrative bath puzzle toyconstructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of a puzzle piece of theillustrative bath puzzle toy shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective representation of a portion of thepuzzle piece shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a simplified isometric representation of the illustrative bathpuzzle toy shown in FIG. 1 in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a plan representation of an illustrative bath puzzle toy 100constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. As shownin this figure, bath puzzle toy 100 is formed of a plurality of puzzlepieces, three of which are designated as puzzle pieces 110, 111, 112,and 113. The puzzle pieces are separable from each other byconventionally formed cuts 130.

In this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention, the uppersurface of bath puzzle toy 100, which is represented in the figure, isdecorated with educational artistic elements, such as ornamentalalphabetical letters 121 and 122, and ornamental numerical characters120 and 123. Of course, in other embodiments of the invention, othercharacters or artistic elements or representations, such as photographs,can be applied to the upper surface of bath puzzle toy 100. In anadvantageous embodiment of the invention, printing is performed directlyon sheet of material 140 using an ink that does not dissolve in water,either alone or in combination with typical soaps, lotions, or shampoos.Water insoluble inks and printer systems are commercially available fromElectronics for Imaging, Inc. 303 Velocity Way, Foster City, Calif.94404, under the trade name VUTEk®.

FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of puzzle piece 110 of bathpuzzle toy 100 shown in FIG. 1. Elements of structure that havepreviously been discussed are similarly designated. Referring to FIG. 2,puzzle piece 110 is shown to bear a corresponding portion of ornamentalalphabetical letter 122, and ornamental numerical character 123. Inaddition, a portion of puzzle piece 110 is identified to be presented inFIG. 3.

In order to eliminate the possibility of clogging the drain of thebathtub (not shown in this figure) in which bath puzzle toy 100 is inuse, puzzle piece 110, as well as all of the other puzzle pieces thatcomprise bath puzzle toy 100, are dimensioned to be larger than aconventional bathtub drain (not shown).

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective representation of a portion of puzzlepiece 110 shown in FIG. 2. Elements of structure that have previouslybeen discussed are similarly designated. Referring to FIG. 3, puzzlepiece 110 is shown to have a thickness t that constitutes the thicknessof the sheet of material 140 from which bath puzzle toy 100 is formed.In the practice of the invention, thickness t is approximately between 1mm and 10 mm, and in a practicable embodiment of the invention,approximately 2 mm.

As previously noted, in this embodiment of the invention the ornamentalalphabetical letters and numerical characters are printed directly onsheet of material 140. This constitutes a significant advantage overknown bathtub toy arrangements because a separately mounted printablelayer is not required in the practice of the present invention. Printersthat utilize water insoluble inks and can print on sheets ofapproximately 2 mm in thickness are commercially available. However, insome embodiments a printable sheet (not shown) is deposited on, oradhered to, sheet of material 140.

The present specific illustrative embodiment of the invention is formedsubstantially of ethylene vinyl acetate resin in combination with othermaterials, in the following approximate proportions:

ethylene vinyl acetate resin (EVA) 75.80% blowing agent 3.00% cross-linkagent 0.70% stearic acid 1.50% calcium carbonate 9.50% clay 9.50%

Blowing agents typically are provided in granular form for effectingfoaming of the EVA during processing. In the practice of the invention,the foams are free of latex, acid, and PVC. Foam materials suitable foruse as sheet of material 140 are available from Ruey Lung Rubber Co.,Ltd., No. 1-1, Gong 9^(th) Rd., 2^(nd) Industrial Park, Linkou, TaipeiCounty 24452, Taiwan.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the puzzle pieces are notconfigured to interlock with each other or to have complementarycontours (not shown). Instead, it is within the scope of the presentinvention to produce, for example, a relatively large base element (notshown) with slots therethrough for accommodating therein one or morepuzzle pieces. The puzzle pieces, when installed on the base element,would form a composite picture (not shown). In some embodiments, therelatively large base element is configured as a foam frame (not shown).In other embodiments, the non-interlocking puzzle pieces are decoratedwith individual letters or numerals (not shown) that are arrangedalongside each other to enable the spelling of words or the formation ofmulti-digit numbers.

FIG. 4 is a simplified isometric representation of bath puzzle toy 100(FIG. 1) in use. Referring to FIG. 4, it is seen that bath puzzle toy100, when in a wet condition, adheres to a nonporous tile wall 150. Tilewall 150 is shown to surround in part a bathtub 152 that contains bathwater 155. Of course, nonporous tile wall 150 does not absorb water. Theuse of the invention is not limited to walls finished with tile, and maybe used in combination with any nonporous surface.

Bath puzzle toy 100, and its associated puzzle pieces, such as puzzlepieces 110 and 111, are wetted with bath water 155. The adherence of thewetted puzzle pieces to the nonporous tile wall in this illustrativespecific application is achieved, in accordance with the invention,without the need for an adhesive or other material. The puzzle piecesare easily removed from the nonporous tile wall without the need for anytools.

In some embodiments of the invention, the puzzle pieces are finished onthe upper surface so as not to be porous, thereby enabling other wettedpuzzle pieces to be adhered thereover. This characteristic, whereinpuzzle pieces adhere to the nonporous wall as well as to each other,will facilitate creation of other embodiments of the invention wherein,for example, puzzle pieces configured as items of clothing areinstallable by adherence over other puzzle pieces, such as humanfigures. The puzzle pieces are easily removed from each other withoutthe need for any tools. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.4, puzzle piece 113 is shown out of the position illustrated in FIG. 1,and is adhered partially on bath puzzle toy 100 (overlying puzzle piece112 (not specifically designated in this figure)) and partially on tilewall 150.

Although the invention has been described in terms of specificembodiments and applications, persons skilled in the art may, in lightof this teaching, generate additional embodiments without exceeding thescope or departing from the spirit of the invention herein claimed.Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawing and description inthis disclosure are proffered to facilitate comprehension of theinvention, and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.

1. A bath toy arrangement for use on a nonporous surface in the vicinityof a source of water, the bath toy arrangement comprising: first andsecond sheet elements each formed of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foamhaving a thickness of approximately between 1 mm and 10 mm, each of saidfirst and second sheet elements having a determined configuration; andan ornamental design printed directly on said first and second sheetelements, said ornamental design being printed with a water insolubleink; wherein when wetted with the water, said first and second sheetelements will adhere to the nonporous surface.
 2. The bath toyarrangement of claim 1, wherein said first and second sheet elementshave a thickness of approximately between 1 mm and 5 mm.
 3. The bath toyarrangement of claim 1, wherein said first and second sheet elements areeach formed of the following materials in the following approximateproportions: ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resin 75.80%; blowing agent3.00%; cross-link agent 0.70%; stearic acid 1.50%; calcium carbonate9.50%; and clay 9.50%.


4. The bath toy arrangement of claim 1, wherein said first and secondsheet elements are each configured to have complementary contours. 5.The bath toy arrangement of claim 4, wherein the complementary contoursof said first and second sheet elements are configured to interlock. 6.The bath toy arrangement of claim 1, wherein the nonporous surface is avertical surface, and said first and second sheet elements will adhereto the nonporous vertical surface.
 7. The bath toy arrangement of claim6, wherein said first and second sheet elements are finished on an uppersurface thereof to be nonporous whereby said first and second sheetelements will adhere to each other.
 8. The bath toy arrangement of claim1, wherein said ornamental design is configured to overlie a portion ofeach of said first and second sheet elements.
 9. A bath toy arrangementfor use on a nonporous vertical surface in the vicinity of a bathtubthat contains water, the bath toy arrangement comprising: first andsecond sheet elements each formed of a polymer foam made from acombination of an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resin, calcium carbonate,and clay, the combination having a thickness of approximately between 1mm and 5 mm, each of said first and second sheet elements having adetermined configuration; and an ornamental design printed directly onrespective first surfaces of said first and second sheet elements, saidornamental design being printed with a water insoluble ink, therespective first surfaces being nonporous; wherein when wetted with thewater, said first and second sheet elements will adhere on respectivesecond surfaces thereof to the nonporous vertical surface.
 10. The bathtoy arrangement of claim 9, wherein when wetted with the water, thesecond surface of said first sheet element will adhere to the firstsurface of said second sheet element.
 11. The bath toy arrangement ofclaim 9, wherein said first and second sheet elements are each formed ofthe following materials in the following approximate proportions:ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resin 75.80%; blowing agent 3.00%;cross-link agent 0.70%; stearic acid 1.50%; calcium carbonate 9.50%; andclay 9.50%.


12. The bath toy arrangement of claim 9, wherein said ornamental designcomprises first and second design elements printed directly onrespective ones of said first and second sheet elements, whereby whensaid first and second sheet elements are wetted and arranged injuxtaposition, a composite ornamental design is formed.
 13. The bath toyarrangement of claim 9, wherein said ornamental design incorporatesalphanumeric characters.
 14. The bath toy arrangement of claim 9,wherein said first sheet element is configured as a foam frame.
 15. Thebath toy arrangement of claim 14, wherein the foam frame is configuredto accommodate said second sheet element thereon.